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The Cinematic Schematic is back to put a finisher on our 2023 movie reviews with our verdicts on the new Sean Durkin movie, The Iron Claw. We dive into the A24 holiday release after discussing the 2024 Golden Globes and Critics Choice Award nominations. Is the Von Erich familial biopic the main event of the holiday season or the C-show of the 2023 release calendar?
Entering the Ring With Our Guests
Tagging into the ring to provide a sufficient smackdown, er, REVIEW of The Iron Claw alongside hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman are returning guests Alexandra Bohannon, freelance writer and previously from Sound Trek, and Kevin Ely, the senior programmer from the deadCenter Film Festival. Kevin and Alexandra bring more extensive wrestling knowledge, including Kevin’s experience watching the Von Erichs on TV.
Left to right: Alexandra Bohannon, Laron Chapman, Kevin Ely, and Caleb Masters
Awards Season Watch: The Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards Nominees
Since our last episode, The Golden Globes and The Critics Choice Association released the nominees for their upcoming awards shows. The panel weighs in on the role of each of these programs and how they may influence the upcoming Oscar race.
The Golden Globes Nominee Highlights
- The ceremony will air live on CBS and Peacock on Sunday, January 7th, 2024.
- Barbie has the second most nominations for any film with ten nominations including Best Motion Picture Comedy, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Performance by an Actress, and Supporting Actor.
- Oppenheimer came in right behind it with eight nominations.
- Killers of the Flower Moon was nominated for seven awards.
The Critics Choice Awards Nominee Highlights
- The awards show will air on the CW on Sunday, January 14th, 2024.
- Barbie set a record with 18 nominations(including 3 for Best Song)
- Oppenheimer and Poor Things tied for second with 13 nominations each.
- Killers of the Flower Moon followed closely behind those with 12 nominations including Lily Gladstone as Best Lead Actress.
- Other Best Picture Nominee Awards: The Holdovers (8), Maestro (8), American Fiction (5), The Color Purple (5), Past Lives (3), and Saltburn (3)
Icebreaker: Who Is the Best Wrestler-Turned-Actor?
To break the ice on each host’s taste in wrestling, we discuss the popular film internet question, “Who is the best wrestler-turned-actor?” Dwayne Johnson, Mickey Rourke, Dave Bautista, and John Cena are a few names that come to mind, but which of them has the most interesting career?
What Did We Think About The Iron Claw?
The Iron Claw stars Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich (the oldest son), Jeremy Allen White as Kerry, Harris Dickinson as David, Stanley Simons as Mike, Holt McCallany as Fritz (the dad), Maura Tierney as Doris (the mom), and Lily James as Pam Adkisson(Kevin’s wife).
We jump into our spoiler-free review by discussing:
- What are our overall thoughts on the film?
- What did we know about the Von Erich professional wrestling family history before watching the film?
- How well was the wrestling choreographed and adapted for the big screen?
- Our letter-grade verdicts
- Alternate media recommendations for listeners interested in The Iron Claw
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble in The Iron Claw Spoiler-Filled Discussion
This episode’s spoiler section covers several of the film’s heavier moments and broader themes including:
- How Fritz Von Erich’s approach to fatherhood irreparably wounded his family
- What the film gets right and wrong with its approach to adapting history to the big screen
- The unusually high fatality rate of professional wrestlers before the age of 40
Tune in to find out whether or not director Sean Durkin has made another movie to fit in the pantheon of great professional wrestling movies.
Special Guests
Kevin Ely
Senior Features Programmer at deadCenter and host of Fight Game Media’s THE BOOM podcast
Follow Kevin on Instagram @KevinEly
Alexandra Bohannon
Freelance Writer and Former Host of Sound Trek
Follow Alexandra on Instagram @byalexbohannon
About The Iron Claw
According to IMDB, The Iron Claw is described as:
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.
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